News

The iPhone is about to get a new web browser. That is, if Apple approves Opera Mini for distribution in the App Store. Opera Software ASA has announced that an iPhone version of its efficient web browser will be submitted for approval very soon.

The project is said to be only weeks away from completion, and would bring Opera Mini to yet another mobile platform. The company has already released its software for Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices. In January, Opera Mini surpassed 50 million unique monthly users.

Reports from third-party vendors indicate that Apple intends to remove all screen protection products from the Apple store starting in May. Any screen product sold alone or with a case will effectively be banned for any product including iPhones, iPods, iPads and Mac notebooks.

The change in inventory involves any and all screen film products including those marketed for protection or simply decorative use, and could affect the Apple online store as well as retail outlets. Speculation is rampant as to the cause of the change in policy.

Regardless of some unscrupulous websites out there, Dev-Team reminds us that jailbreak solutions for iPhone firmware version 3.1.3 on new devices like the iPod Touch 3G don't exist! Unlock solutions for baseband version 05.12 do not exist! Scam sites will take your money and give you older software that was already released for free.

Unlocking and jailbreaking software is always released free of charge. Currently baseband 05.11 can't even be unlocked on iPhone OS 3.1.3. If you upgraded your firmware using the official Apple 3.1.3 software you'll just have to be patient while the Dev-Team finds a way.

The Apple store is down internationally, as Apple updates its store to get ready for the US pre-order of the iPad. Starting at 8:30 AM EDT, prospective customers will be able to order the WiFi-only and 3G capable versions of the Apple's hotly anticipated tablet. Today's pre-ordering is open to US customers only. The WiFi-only iPad is slated for arrival in stores and homes on April 3rd, with 3G models arriving later in the month.

iPad pre-ordering begins tomorrow, and those of you who intelligently want to avoid either lines, rumored supply shortages, or both, can finally lay claim to an iPad, or two, or three. Beginning at some time after midnight tonight, Apple will update their online store and allow customers to start placing pre-orders for both the WiFi only and WiFi + 3G versions of the highly touted Apple iPad.

As usual, Apple's been hush-hush on the details, which is a little odd considering the details usually allow buyers to make more informed decisions on whether or not to purchase a product. However, Apple's never conventional when it comes to drumming up buzz for their products, so having bloggers and journalists running rampant trying to dig up details on the launch of one of their products likely suits them just fine.

The iPad Guide has put together a list of

Apple released to developers its latest version of the iPhone SDK yesterday (version 3.2 beta 4), and an article published today by The iPad Guide details clues revealed by developers that show evidence of video conferencing support on the iPad.

A report filed a few weeks ago on The iPad Guide brought to light rumors that Hulu was developing and iPad application or a version of its popular video sharing site specifically for the iPad. In other words, the folks behind the technology at Hulu were at work creating a version of Hulu that didn't require Adobe Flash. In regards to Mobile Safari and Flash support, the capabilities of the iPad and the iPhone are seemingly identical, meaning that a Hulu for the iPad would be expected to work on the iPhone as well.

As The iPad Guide article suggests, "the same limitations presented by the iPad are those that have kept Hulu from the iPhone. Any effort by Hulu to develop an iPad-compatible version of Hulu would, in turn, create a version of Hulu that is also iPhone compatible. So, the proper question might be, if Hulu has a non-Flash version of their website in their wheelhouse, then what has kept them from building it for the iPhone?"

Unlike YouTube, who had to re-encode all of their videos in order to bring them to the iPhone, Hulu already

Apple announced today the Wi-Fi only iPad is scheduled for release in the US on Saturday, April 3. The company is accepting pre-orders for all models (including 3G versions) starting on Friday, March 12. Shipping of 3G models in the US and iPad availability in other countries is planned for late April.

The iBooks app for iPad including Apple’s iBookstore will appear as a free download on the App Store in the US on April 3. Apple has developed 12 new iPad-optimized apps that will be included on the iPad out of the box.

Could it be that Netflix is moving closer towards developing an application that would allow subscribers to watch instantly on the iPhone? A new survey question has been discovered that suggests Netflix is gauging interest in a Wi-Fi movie streaming app.

In the past, Netflix used a similar strategy prior to the release of their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 applications. Support for instant watching is also on its way to the Wii console this spring. Netflix is performing market research constantly and often circulates up to 20 surveys at a time.

There could be long lines for the iPad launch after all if reports of a delay in production are accurate. Analyst Peter Misek from Canaccord Adams says production problems at Hon Hai Precision mean that Apple could have only 300,000 units ready at launch.

The company was planning to have one million units ready for sale in March, along with another 800,000 available in April. The limited numbers might result in Apple delaying the iPad release date or even limiting initial sales to the US only.